Learning to Play
by jazzyproz
Summary: My gift for the 2018 Valentine's Day fic exchange. Set in S7, Brennan is worried that she won't know how to connect with her baby well enough to play. Booth wants to set her fears to rest in this little One Shot adventure. Soft M (maybe hard T, but I don't want to risk it)


**A/N Hello and welcome! When I learned that Bonesology was hosting another Valentine's Day fic exchange this year, I couldn't resist tossing my hat into the ring. This is my gift fic for the incomparable FaithInBones! I can't imagine there is anyone out there who has read Bones Fan Fiction and not encountered the stories of one of our fandom's Royalty. Seriously, if you haven't read FaithInBones' fics, you need to stop reading this story immediately and go check out her tales!**

 **Lenora's request left for a pretty wide open interpretation, and I hope you like what I've done here!**

 **Her wish was simply: Booth and Brennan. Any rating. Can include any characters. From season 7 to season 12. Use your imagination. Any story plot is great as long as B &B are together. **

**Well, as luck would have it, my DVD reader on my laptop decided to crap the bed and I couldn't re-watch my DVDs for seasons 7-12, but I remembered Season 7 well enough (** _ **I think I do, anyway**_ **) to cover this time period! Forgive me if my episodic references are a little off kilter! This is set as a tag to Season 7, Episode 3,** _ **Prince in the Plastic**_ **. I did not center this around Valentine's day, so it's not a holiday fic, but it's still a Valentine's gift! I have rated this M to be safe - I'm not really sure if it is a soft M or hard T, but to be safe, I thought it best to err on the side of caution.**

 **I'll take this moment for the standard disclaimer - I do not own Bones, but I sure wish I did!**

"Put 'em up, copper!" Brennan chuckled as her voice bellowed through the small living room. The scientist was pumping the plastic gun in her hands, sending foam balls flying in Booth's general direction. When she felt his return fire whiz past her ear, she squealed uncharacteristically and slid back behind the half wall of the entrance hallway.

"C'mon out, Bones," Booth prodded. "You can't hide back there all night…" Grinning, he moved forward in a crouching position, stalking his prey silently. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" He taunted her with the age-old playground sing-song.

Looking down at her gun, Brennan fretted, seeing that she was down to only one final foam ball. She knew that she'd never stand a chance against her highly skilled, sharp-shooting partner, and even though it was just a silly game, her competitive streak came to the surface with full force. Wrinkling her nose, she plotted a quick plan to get the better of the alpha-male who'd set up shop in her life long before their relationship blossomed, and with a sneaky, evil grin, she slid slowly to the floor, leaning against the wall and raising her knees so she could hide her gun behind them.

From the other side of the partial wall that separated the living room from the entry hall, Booth listened to her movements. He was suspicious of his surprisingly devious partner and her disturbingly steep learning curve, because she was quiet, and much as it is with kids, when she's quiet during a game, she's probably up to no good.

"What, uhh…" He flattened himself against his side of the wall, his own competitive nature on high alert, despite his anticipatory, playful smile. "Whatcha doin' over there, Bones?"

That was exactly the opening she needed, she swallowed the urge to giggle. Sighing heavily, she let out an overly dramatic sigh.

"Her calcaneus is once again lodged against my spleen…. And it seems she did not particularly enjoy the sudden secretion of adrenaline that surged through my circulatory system…" She thought quick, she needed her excuse to be _squinty_ , as Booth would say, in order for him to believe her. Biting back a grin, she spoke rapidly. "Apparently, the production of the excess adrenal gland hormone in conjunction with the already elevated cocktail of hormones associated with the pregnancy itself was a disturbing concoction and she has become quite agitated in response. Her reflexes have developed remarkably well as we've entered into the third trimester... She becomes extremely active when I make sudden movements as well as when her auditory receptors are able to pinpoint your voice in an otherwise noisy environment." She waited, wondering if he followed.

Booth smirked. _So, my little nerd thinks she's gunna science her way outta this battle, huh? Sorry, sweetheart, your acting_ _ **still**_ _sucks._ Growing serious, he hoped his voice didn't give anything away.

"Are you ok, Bones?" He didn't come out from his hiding space, but he could practically hear her smile when she thought she had him beat. "I mean, if you're done playing, we can stop…"

Making a straining sound while sitting comfortably on her bottom, she grunted. "Ugh, I can't get up. Can you come help me, Booth?" She angled her hidden weapon so it was aiming at what she estimated would be chest height on her pleasingly tall partner when he rounded the corner.

From his vantage point Booth rolled his eyes, knowing she hadn't even attempted to stand up from her concealed seat. "Oh, sure thing, Bones," he made movements as if he was disarming himself before playing knight in shining FBI armour. "Just a sec," he flattened to his belly.

Brennan struggled to remain serious, not wanting her laugh to be detected. With her pale eyes looking up at where she expected her partner to appear, she tried her best to look exasperated, so he would not suspect her ulterior motives when he approached.

Pushing himself forward with just his toes, Booth bit his lower lip to remain silent. Bringing the barrel of his nerf gun just to the edge of the wall, he stilled, listening for and signs of movement from Brennan. Hearing shuffling sounds as she rearranged her clothing, he suspected she was either attempting to hide her own nerf weapon or creating a distraction for him as she expected his approach.

"Ah ha!" He pushed forward the rest of the way, laying on his side and firing the last foam ball from his gun, bouncing it off her hip with a triumphant laugh. "Scarface, my ass!"

"Booth! That's not fair!" She pouted and exposed her own gun, discharging her final round of ammunition at her stealthy partner. "You cheated!"

Booth's face split into a wide smile as he remained on the floor and batted away the harmless yellow ball. "I did no such thing." He reached out to playfully pinch her thigh. "Besides, you can't shoot me now, I already shot you." He chuckled at her mulish expression and pushed up to his hands and knees before crawling across the short distance between them. Chuckling at her pout, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her mouth, humming when he felt her respond.

Suddenly her fingers were tugging at his collar and Booth shifted even closer, eagerly anticipating her advances, and he inched his fingers beneath the hem of her blouse. Without warning, she started giggling and he assumed he was inadvertently tickling her and then he felt it… through the buttonholes she'd opened, she slipped a little foam ball and then teasingly pushed him back.

"I win."

"That's not how this works, Bones," he pinned her with a predatory stare and moved in. "You can't just push a bullet through my shirt and say you win…"

"But it's my game," she grinned. "I bought the guns and when I did," she winked, "I bought magic bullets."

When his fingers launched into a true tickle attack, she roared in laughter, unable to roll away from him as quickly as she could before the baby started doubling in weight. Sliding down until she was flat on her back, Brennan managed to grab hold of Booth's hands and they waged a playful war on her ribs and successfully stilled their movements long enough for her to catch her breath.

Booth has no real intention of winning this 'fight', so he settled for a kiss instead, grinning against her lips as he loomed over her. "And you were worried about knowing how to play with our baby… You've not nothin' to worry about, Bones." He covered her mouth fully, groaning at their contact. Regardless of the fact that they were having a baby together, and they basically spent every night in the same bed, whether at her place or his, the agent wasn't sure he'd ever get used to _finally_ being with his partner romantically, and being permitted to kiss her pretty much whenever he wanted.

She hummed in appreciation of his compliment and accepted his proffered kiss. "Well," she tilted her head. "It's easy to play with you, Booth. You and I have been partners for a long time. But when the baby is born, there'll be no telling whose personality she will favor…. It will be easy to see which of us she _physically_ favors, or whose gene pool most influences her skeletal structure… But what if I can't connect with her on the basic level around something as inherently natural as _play_?"

Booth could see the genuine concern behind her eyes and knew he needed to do something to help her see the same skills that he saw, leading him to trust what an amazing mom she would be. Pulling her hand to his lips, one at a time, he pressed tender kisses against her palms. He sat back on his haunches and tugged her gently, silently encouraging her to sit up. "You're worrying too much, Baby." He pushed up to his feet and helped her up the rest of the way. "When our baby is finally born, we'll teach her and we'll help her develop these fine motor skills that you're always yammering on about, but the thing we'll probably first realize is that she will have her own beautiful, _brilliant_ personality, perfectly blended from the two of us…"

Brennan rolled her lips between her teeth. She was relatively confident that she would be an _influential_ mother, but she was still hesitant to trust that she'd be a _fun_ mother. She looked up at her partner, the difference in their height emphasized by her being in her slippers and he still in his shoes, and she rested her hands against his chest. "Will you help me, Booth?"

The agent studied her face carefully, knowing that she hated asking for help, even from him, and when she did, it was a serious matter. Running his hands around her waist and sliding them down her her hips, he leaned down and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Every step of the way, Bones." When he could feel the tension lift from Brennan's shoulders, Booth knew he'd said what she needed to hear. He knew she was nervous; no matter how strong a face she put up for their colleagues and friends, he saw her at home… He was the one witnessing the quiet moments she spent critically studying herself in the mirror, sometimes in disbelief and others appearing to be in awe. He noticed the subtle ways she observed the interactions of mothers with their children out in public. And most telling, he recently saw a 'new mothering advice' webpage she left open on her browser when she abandoned her laptop on the bed while running to the bathroom, all the while lecturing aloud to herself the reasurances that _excessive urination was quite natural at this stage_...

Yes, Seeley Booth was fortunate enough to witness the amazing transformations, both the physical changes as well as the emotional ones, that his brilliant anthropologist was going through during the course of her pregnancy, and he considered it a privilege that she allowed him to do so. There was a time, it seemed so many years ago, when she wanted to do this on her own, with nothing more than his _donation_ from him. And although she had assured him back then, that she would hold him to no obligations in raising the child, he knew, even in that relatively early stage of their partnership, that he would _never_ have allowed her to struggle on her own. Somewhere deep down, he suspected that she would have welcomed him in then as well, but perhaps it would have taken a little more convincing than it did at this time.

He pulled back and looked at her, really studied her, taking in the healthy flush that had spread across her cheeks, the uncertain but trusting crooked smile that he adored, and her pale, soul swallowing eyes that held such a mixture of confidence and vulnerability that he was struck momentarily speechless. She was putting her trust in him to help guide her, to walk beside her along this journey, and he was determined to prove to her that they were in the right path. Brushing a few strands of unruly hair back from her forehead, Booth curled one side of his lips.

"Let's go away this weekend."

"Booth," she sighed. "I have to work. I told you I have fallen terribly behind in my duties and responsibilities at the lab…"

"Bones, you've been working your ass off this week on the case. You have been putting in long hours and standing over that table for days…. you deserve a weekend to yourself… _We_ deserve a weekend to _**our**_ selves..."

"But the museum hired me to identify the remains housed in Bone Storage. I can't identify them if I'm never there. And soon," she dropped one hand from his chest and rested it on her swollen abdomen. "Soon I won't even be able to do that when I am out for maternity leave."

Booth knew she would need some convincing, understanding what a workaholic she was, but he didn't give up. "I'll make it worth your while," he flashed a full-wattage charm smile and waggled his eyebrows. "Please?"

Rolling her eyes, she chuckled and turned towards the sofa, wanting to get off her feet. "Don't try to use your charm smile on me. It won't work." She sat gingerly in the center cushion, knowing he would take the end seat and she's be able to snuggle against him. "I know you too well to fall for that trick."

Booth laughed. "I'm just thinking of your welfare, Baby. I don't want you to wear yourself out." He stretched his arm across the back of the couch and jerked his head sideways, encouraging her to lean into his embrace.

Knowing her partner well enough to realize she would lose this battle, Brennan sighed, accepting his embrace without argument. "What did you have in mind?"

Booth's lips curled crookedly, knowing he'd won. He pressed a kiss against her hair. "Ahh, I dunno." He looked up at the ceiling and traced absent designs along her neck. "I was thinking maybe tomorrow after work, we pack an overnight bag and take off. I'll have a better idea tomorrow," he squeezed her tighter against his body. "You think you can be home by six-thirty or seven tomorrow night?"

Brennan felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth as she became involuntarily excited, but she felt it necessary to play down her anticipation. "I don't know if I can be home that early, Booth. If you insist on monopolizing a perfectly good weekend during which I'm going to lose _hours_ of work, I really need to invest some quality research and examination time tomorrow…"

Booth smirked; her acting still sucked after all these years, but he played along. "Well, if it's gonna put you that far behind, Bones, don't worry about it…" He shrugged, as if he didn't care. "It was just a thought. No biggie. We can stay home."

Patting his leg, as if she was placating him, the scientist relented. "No, no. It's fine, Booth… We can go away. I don't want to deprive you of a mini vacation. That would be unfair…"

"Well, if you're sure?" Booth baited her, knowing from her intonation that she was, in fact, already looking forward to a weekend away. "I mean, I don't wanna _inconvenience_ you…"

Brennan realized at that point, that he knew she was teasing, and she craned her neck, looking up at him. When she saw the familiar twinkle in his eyes, she burst out laughing and stretched up to kiss his cheek. "I can be home by six tomorrow if you want to leave earlier."

Turning, he caught her lips with his, humming in approval as he smiled into their kiss. What started out as a playful smooch quickly turned heated, and in the blink of an eye, Brennan was shifting until she could straddle Booth's lap. She couldn't get as close to his body as she once could, now that her baby bump had grown considerably. She _could_ , however, get close enough to make her intentions known, and before long, the partners left a trail of discarded clothing down the hallway as Booth praised and complimented her increased libido between kisses and nibbles.

B/B/B/B

Booth dropped his duffle bag in the entryway hall just as he heard Brennan's key slipping into the deadbolt keyhole. Stepping to the door, he opened it for his partner, smiling when he saw the duffle bag on her shoulder.

"You stopped at your place?"

"Yes," she responded, entering immediately. "I have things here that I need for going back and forth to work, but I wanted a few different articles of clothing for a casual weekend." She put her bag beside Booth's and eyed him carefully, still not knowing what they were doing. "It _is_ going to be a casual weekend, correct? Many of my formal clothing articles no longer fit me, so unless I need to go shopping for a new wardrobe, _which would only fit me for approximately three more weeks_ , I would prefer we remain comfortable..."

Booth closed the distance between them, his hands sliding around her waist as he looked down at her with a tilted head. "We're goin' casual, baby," he grinned and kissed her. "Nothin' fancy-shmancy for us this weekend."

"Good," she breathed a sigh of relief, placing her hands on Booth's shoulders and pressing up to her toes for a better kiss. "Where are we going?"

Booth winked. "New York City."

"The _city_?" Her forehead crinkled as she studied her partner's giddy demeanor. "The city is _not_ relaxing, Booth. The city is crowded... and busy… and noisy." She searched his eyes, wondering why he was smiling. "All of that is the antithesis of relaxing."

"I never said anything about _relaxing_. I said casual." He saw the frantic little hamster in her brain start running on its wheel…. She simultaneously loved and loathed surprises, and he knew it, which tugged his smile a little wider. "I said we deserve a weekend to ourselves, and that's what we are gonna do… we're just gonna do it with a couple million people surrounding us, that's all."

"A _couple_ million?" She huffed and looked at him incredulously. "Try more like _eight_ million…"

"Yeah, well, they won't all be on the same place we will, so, don't worry." Stealing one final kiss, he nodded toward the door. "You ready to go, or do you need to grab anything from the bedroom?"

"No, I just need my toothbrush from the bathroom," she started to turn away, but stopped when he grabbed her hand.

"I packed it already. So if that's all, then we can vamoose, Bones." He clapped his hands once, rubbing them together in anticipation. "We can grab a bite on the way, m-kay?"

She nodded, both anxious and excited about their weekend. "Yes." She bent over for her bag, only to be instantly relieved of it by her partner. "I can carry my own bag, Booth…"

"Yeah, I know you _can_ , Bones. But you don't _have_ to." He walked through the door, waiting for her to turn off the light switches and chuckling at her now-familiar anthropological rant about pregnant women and their extensive abilities across cultures to carry more burdensome packs than a simple duffle while still managing to birth their children along the way. "I'll let you lock the door," he grinned when she joined him outside the apartment.

"Gee, thanks," she rolled her eyes at the menial job, but performed it anyway, so they could be on their way. As they walked towards the elevator, she picked up where she left off, reminding him that her physical condition was far from delicate and that she took offense to his alpha-male actions, which hinted that he disagreed when he did things like carrying her belongings against her wishes.

Stepping into the elevator carriage, Booth smiled, still enjoying his resident nerd's squinty spiel, and he nodded to the buttons, silently directing her to select the lower level. When she followed his wordless signal seamlessly, all while continuing her lecture, he was reminded, once again, of how deeply in love he was with his partner. Even if she _did_ tend to drone _on and on_ about his various habits, none of which he had any current intentions of changing, he knew he'd never stop loving her.

B/B/B/B

Their ride was relatively uneventful, except for one little hiccup when, out of the blue, Brennan revisited their experiment from a few weeks prior when she had metaphorically walked in Booth's shoes to experience his points of view.

After they'd stopped for a welcome meal at a home-style-cooking restaurant, Brennan leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. Booth thought she had fallen asleep until he felt the familiar sensation of her big eyes watching him silently. Glancing at her sideways, he winked.

"Whatcha thinking about?" He reached over and covered her hand with his, interlacing theri fingers.

With an impish grin, she tightened her grip and admired his handsome profile. "I want to have intercourse."

Swerving slightly, Booth's head whipped around and he looked at her with shock in his eyes. Without permission, his body reacted instantly to the huskiness in her voice and he coughed, desperately trying to clear his throat once he tore his eyes away from the pale blue-gray gaze pinning him wordlessly.

" _Jesus_ , Bones," he coughed again, pulling his hand free of hers to grip the steering wheel and recentering the SUV in the lane. He should be accustomed to her blunt statements, he reminded himself, but he was damn sure he'd ever get used to that kind of directness… " _Shit_ , you can't just blurt that out, y'know?"

"Why not?" Brennan asked innocently, knowing exactly what she was doing. While she never admitted it to anyone, she loved to play with Booth this way.

Booth chuckled darkly. "Oh, you're gonna get it, Bones… Just wait til we get to the hotel…"

She laughed, letting her head fall back against the headrest as she looked at him. She had always enjoyed looking at him, but whenever she managed to cause his temperature to rise, and his neck and ears to flush, she was particularly proud to admire her handiwork. With a tiny, very un-Brennan-like giggle, she turned away from her partner, causing him to wonder what was so funny.

"What're you laughing at?" He glanced in her direction and then back to the road.

"I'm not laughing, I'm just," she shrugged and looked back at him. "I guess I'm just enjoying the ride…"

He reached over and picked up her hand, bringing it to his lips tenderly. "I love you, Bones."

While she had, on many occasions, freely responded in kind to the sentiment, sometimes the anthropologist was still caught off guard at how easily the words tumbled from Booth's lips. She allowed him to keep holding her hand when he brought it back down to her lap and she nodded. "I know."

Booth understood that she was not being coy or vain, because he knew she was still feeling her way through this whole monogamous-relationship-thing. Squeezing her fingers, he watched the road and grinned. "Of course, I'm still going to make you pay for your little stunt back there, y'know…"

Anticipating their arrival at the hotel, she felt her own body flush. "I know that, too…"

"Good…" He licked his lips, willing his body to stay calm as they took the exit that would take them into the city. "As long as you understand why you're in for it…"

Throwing her head back in laughter, she challenged him again. "Bring it on, FBI-man… That is, if you think you can handle it…"

B/B/B/B

"Wakey, wakey, Bones," he muttered against the back of her head, his hand sweeping down her bare torso gently. "Time to wake up…"

She stretched, enjoying the feel of the quality, high thread count sheets against her naked body. "Mmmm…." She moaned, not quite ready to wake up yet. Just as she felt his calloused fingers softly tracing absent designs across her belly, something she particularly liked, she felt the brash rasping of his morning stubble against the back of her shoulder, something that she only _occasionally_ liked, and that morning was _not_ one of those occasions. Shrugging her shoulder away from his chin, Brennan growled quietly. "No…"

Booth loved waking up next to his partner. Ever since that first bittersweet morning, despite the heavy weight that loomed over them at losing the English Squintern, Booth had known instantly that he would never want to wake without her again. Of course, there had been mornings when he woke solo because she had gotten up earlier or because she simply couldn't sleep. And there were a couple other times when she had slept at her own apartment and he at his because they'd had an argument. There was even one occasion when she had to go on an overnight trip for a book signing and he wasn't able to join her because he had to work. But for the most part, they'd been spending most of their time together, and he couldn't be happier.

The longer they were together, the agent discovered sweet little habits and idiosyncrasies about his partner, all of which seemed to make him fall further in love with her. She had a strict skin care routine that she performed, without fail, every night before bed. On nights when she shaved her legs, Booth knew she used a coconut smelling lotion, whereas on the nights she skipped that particular task, she used a lavender scent. _And_ he knew that beneath her work boots, she liked to keep her heels soft and callous-free, and often kept her perfect little toenails painted... on top of that little morsel of information, he was surprised to learn that she tended to prefer so-called _girly colors_ , like pale pinks and opalescent glitter paints. His anthropologist meticulously tended to her eyebrows after rinsing her face clear of some smeary-tea-leaf-cream-stuff that he loved to tease her about, and about which she long ago gave up trying to educate him on the benefits of using Natural Tea Tree Oil Cream. Perhaps one of his favorite routines, however, was a weekly practice that he quickly _and eagerly_ interjected himself into very early into their relationship - a moisturizing oil that he massaged into her shoulders and back, _and_ often led to a long, slow, passionate night of making love.

Besides the many little beauty secrets that he'd become privy to since moving into a relationship with his partner, Booth also learned to listen for the adorable little snores that escaped in the dead of night, of which she vehemently denied the existence ( _and berated Booth's audacity to mention it when he told her_ ). One of his favorite things, though, that he learned about Brennan was that she was not the morning-person he had always expected she would be.

Whenever they were undercover, posing as a couple and sharing a hotel room, she always managed to wake up first and was ready to leave by the time he started stirring from slumber. The many times they'd stayed at each other's apartments following a late night movie marathon, she never seemed to show herself in the kitchen or living room without being fully awake and bright-eyed. The only exceptions to this were the mornings after a night of heavy drinking, when they polished away a bottle of liquor over nachos, popcorn or chips and salsa. But once they had finally obliterated that line, smashing it into smithereens, she never seemed to shy away from letting him see the real-Brennan, grumpy and irritable at waking up before her body was truly ready. And not only did he love that she let him see that side of her, he loved that she was not very much unlike him in that way.

There was a time when she would openly chastise him for lounging lazily on a Saturday or Sunday, always keeping up her front of not liking to waste time. Booth soon learned, however, that it didn't take much prodding or persuasion to convince her about the benefits of staying in bed on the weekend, or spending a day in pajamas and eating leftovers in front of the television. It's not like they did it all the time, it was only an occasional guilty-pleasure, but when she agreed so readily to the suggestion, Booth knew that her years of attempting to maintain a disciplined outward appearance to those around her was merely a way of self-preservation against possible ridicule by people who might judge her unfavorably if they knew she enjoyed sitting at home in her puppy dog pj's and fluffy bunny ear slippers.

On mornings like this, regardless of the bed in which they were waking up, when she was warm, and sleepy, and smelled like heaven, Booth relished her quiet mews and grumpy grumbles. They were up late the night before, talking long into the night about their future and making slow, tender love until their bodies collapsed into satisfied stupors. But he had plans for their day, and while they wouldn't need to stay out late if she grew tired as the hours ticked on, they had someplace to be that morning.

Pressing his body against hers, he spooned her completely, making contact from her feet resting against the tops of his all the way up to where his chest pressed against her back and his chin teased her shoulder and neck.

"We have plans this morning…"

As she growled in disapproval of being pulled unwillingly from her dream, and in direct retaliation, she wiggled her bottom against his crotch, immediately causing a noticeable reaction from her very alpha-male bed-mate. Unable to stop the satisfied smile from spreading across her lips, she chuckled when Booth's involuntary response was a primal grunt.

Booth rolled his hips in answer to her shimmy and quickly swept his hand lower. Speaking against her ear, he nipped playfully in between his words.

"Huh… Feelin' kinda spry this morning, Bones?" He palmed her thigh and pulled it back against his a little tighter, causing her to have to part her legs slightly. Once he could nudge his knee between hers, just where he wanted it, he nuzzled the silky skin of her neck. "I can't imagine I'll ever tire of waking up like this, Bones." With deft, expert fingers, he tested her readiness and swiftly pressed into her, hoping to catch her off guard at least a little. When she moaned at the sensation of being filled, a cocky smirk tugged the corners of his mouth. "And I know for goddamn certain that I will never get tired of making love to you in the mornings…"

Brennan reached down and trapped his hands against her body, one palm cradling her tummy and the other holding her breast tenderly. She let the slow rhythm that Booth set wash over her, grateful that he knew her so well and could evoke such powerful physical reactions in her that they rivaled the emotional ones he'd been helping her develop over the course of their partnership and friendship.

She felt safe to just be herself whenever she was with Booth, whether that meant spending quiet, contemplative hours at his side without the need for dialog to communicate her feelings, or being cheeky and impish when she teased him playfully, or challenging him and his beliefs or theories, both on and off the job. Temperance Brennan had learned that she could always trust Booth to just let her be free. And she felt safe with him, as well. He protected her, even when she didn't feel the need to be protected, but she would be lying if she said it didn't make her feel loved.

Feeling loved was, perhaps, the hardest feeling for the scientist to finally accept. Her adolescence had colored her beliefs of love with a dark, broad paintbrush, resulting in a deep-rooted fear of love. It had been her limited experience that love was ephemeral, nothing more than chemicals with a definite expiration date. Her partner, however, with his cocksure attitude and hardass exterior had been showing her his softer side for years, talking about love, and romance, and soulmates. He relished in fantasizing about Fate and the notion that everyone has somebody out there in the world for them, if only they'd let themselves be open to seeing the truth. And, little by little, Brennan felt herself get swept up in Boothy views of the universe on more than one occasion, and with more frequency as their relationship deepened over the years.

Before they were finally together, the stubborn scientist would often publicly denounce the absurdity of his fancy imagination, but in the quiet of her apartment, when she was alone _and lonely_ , she entertained the idea that maybe, _just maybe_ , he was right. It was several years before she started to let him into her personal life enough to see her harsh exterior softening. Even at this point, when she was carrying his prodigy and making love to him whenever the relentless urge of her hormonal biological clock ticked deafeningly loud, she was still somewhat reluctant to dive headfirst into anything that could leave her shattered beyond recognition if it ever went wrong. As she felt the adoration and passion coursing through his body and into hers, however, she knew without a doubt, that she was safe in every sense of the word.

 _And_ that she _belonged_.

After years of not belonging, she had found a home in Booth, and there was nothing she wouldn't do to ensure Booth's happiness, because he was the reason she was wonderfully exhausted by the end of every day, rubbing body butter on her ever-expanding baby bump. He was the driving force behind her desire to always search and uncover that extra clue or piece of evidence, even long after others had given up. She had said it to Gordon-Gordon years before they finally tumbled onto each other's arms, that she'd do anything for Booth, and that truth still held strong.

Ratcheting towards a sleepy, delicious climax, she turned her head so he could brush his lips against her temple, and her cheek, and he didn't disappoint, instantly moving his lips to meet her creamy skin.

"Booth," she husked unto the otherwise quiet room. "I'm not going to last long…"

Perfectly happy to push his gorgeous woman over the edge so quickly, he nosed the loose hairs aside. "Let go, Baby… I'm right there with you.."

Shuddering, she allowed her body to respond naturally to his ministrations and skill. When she was done trembling, when the familiar and welcome dampness exploded between her legs, she felt his tempo pick up speed and his rhythm falter ever so slightly. She reached back with one arm, grabbing his thigh and squeezing, a silent signal to him to let go, and he did, almost immediately.

Puffing heavy breaths against the back of her neck, Booth sighed heavily. He pressed a kiss to her sweat dampened skin, with a breathy hum.

"Mmm… good mornin', baby."

She grinned. "Good morning, Booth." Suddenly the baby kicked against Booth's palm, reminding her parents of her presence, causing Brennan to cover his hand with hers.

"Good morning to you, too, little baby," Booth flexed his fingers against Brennan's skin, ridiculously happy that he felt the child move. He had felt her kick several times, but he could never get enough. After all, Brennan could feel the baby move all the time, but it was pure chance whenever he was around. His partner had told him on numerous occasions, however, that the baby responded to his voice more than anyone else's, hoping to assure him that he was not missing out on very many moments.

B/B/B/B

"Where are we going?" They walked leisurely along the sidewalk, hand in hand, something they rarely did in DC. Brennan watched people bustling past - professionals, despite it being the weekend, as well as tourists, made obvious by the maps in hand and the cameras flashing photos of the cityscape.

"Just another block down," Booth pointed ahead of them. "See where everybody is gathered?"

"Yes," she studied the wide array of people crowding the sidewalk, individuals of all ages and ethnicities were there, some of the adults seemingly as excited as the children. "But what is it…?"

She studied the windows as they approached the building, which seemed to take up the entire city block, and she wrinkled her forehead. Turning back to Booth, she looked up into his smiling face and tilted her head sideways.

"A toy store?" She looked back at the window display and slowed their pace. "Booth, we have toy stores in the District…"

He chuckled and released her hand, throwing his arm across her shoulders to pull her near. "Yeah, I know…"

"I just bought those foam ball guns…"

"I _know_ , Bones," he interrupted her reminder. "But _this_ ," he motioned to the building, "is the world famous FAO Schwarz." He eyed her sideways, looking for any sign of recognition, but finding none. "It's a really famous store, Bones…" When she didn't seem to understand why he brought her here, he continued. "You were worried about knowing how to play with our daughter… you said you didn't know if you'd be able to connect…"

She nodded, avoiding eye contact as she felt her cheeks blaze in embarrassment at her ineptitude.

Stilling their forward motion, he grabbed her hand and tugged her until she was facing him, then he knuckled her chin. "I don't have any doubts that you will be an amazing mom, but I thought that if we came here, and you could see all the options out there, and witness other people and the way they interact with kids, you'll feel better yourself." When he saw a spark of interest light up in her eyes, he knew he had her attention. "It'll be like an anthropological study, because this isn't just any old toy store, y'know… They have rooms and areas set up to play, places to try out the toys an' stuff…"

The idea of turning their outing into a study really intrigued Brennan's nerdy side and she found herself smiling. She nodded, now eyeing the crowd as it grew thicker. "Why isn't anyone going in yet?" She glanced at her watch.

"They open at nine o'clock," he answered. "That's the other reason I wanted to come early, they have an opening ceremony I wanted you to see…"

Turning her pale eyes to Booth's warm browns, she wondered, "how do you know so much about this place? You've never mentioned it…"

"I brought Parker here when he was spending a week with me a couple years ago. We _both_ had fun…" He raised one side of his lips at the fond memory. "And _now_ , I want to have fun with _you…_ They have other stuff too, besides just toys… linens, kids' furniture, decorations and stuff, and maybe we can pick something out…"

Before Brennan could reply, a trumpet sounded from the storefront and the crowd cheered just as two men dressed as toy soldiers marched out, signaling the start of the opening ceremony. The partners watched, getting caught up in the excitement of the event as more soldiers joined in and moved about in formation, welcoming their first customers of the day.

Filing into the enormous foyer of the toy store, Brennan almost felt overwhelmed, not knowing what to look at first, but quickly finding her metaphorical footing as Booth drew her attention to a display pointing patrons in the direction of a room dedicated to entertaining toys geared at education. Before he could say anything, Brennan grabbed Booth's hand and tugged him towards that room, instantly attracted to the Baby Einstein and LeapFrog brands.

The pair spent hours going from room to room, exploring baby toys and books. Booth enjoyed seeing Brennan get excited about the most basic of games, and he hoped she'd soon be able to accept what an amazing and nurturing mother she would become. They purchased some furniture that Booth would build to be used in the baby's room once the mighty hut was ready and Brennan selected a wide variety of books, which she planned to read to their child in hopes of passing along her love of reading and learning to the little girl.

After stopping for a snack, they took some time to look at games and activities aimed at older kids and teens, picking out a few things to send to Parker in the next care package that they would mail out to him. They had their packages transferred to their hotel concierge, a service about which Booth had specifically asked when deciding on a hotel for their impromptu weekend away.

He ushered his partner with a confident hand on her lower back, in the opposite direction of their hotel when they left the store. "There's a little cafe down the block, I read about it online." He smiled when she leaned into his touch. "Thought we'd grab an early dinner before heading back to the room. Then, if you want, we can spend a relaxing evening in, or we can find something else to do." He looked down at her as she surveyed their surroundings, watching the constant ebb and flow of people. "I didn't know how you'd be feeling after being on your feet all day."

Brennan nodded, appreciative of his thoughtful nature and attentiveness. Typically, she balked at his often overprotective actions, but she understood that he was only doing what came naturally to him, even if it did, on occasion, drive her metaphorically crazy. "There was a sign in the hotel bar that they have live music starting at nine o'clock tonight. Maybe after we eat, we can go back to the room for a little while, so I can elevate my feet, and then later this evening we can go to the bar. I can have a lemon lime soda and you can have a drink. I know you miss going out for drinks like we did before your surprisingly high sperm count impregnated me."

Booth chuckled at her phrasing, reminded once more of how much he loved her. Pressing a kiss to her temple, her tried to assure her.

"I don't mind not hitting the bar as much as we used to, Bones. The thing I liked most about having drinks after work or as a celebration for closing a case was always just spending time with you." He shrugged one shoulder. "Now I get to be with you every night, which is far better than merely sharing a drink."

Brennan warmed at his admission, understanding the attraction they used to feel towards the bar, because in most cases, he was the reason she wanted to have a drink out as well. But she suspected that Booth was likely playing down his enjoyment of sitting at a high top and soaking in the atmosphere. "Still," she said, "it might be nice to listen to music, if it is a good band."

"Sounds like a perfect plan, Bones." He motioned to the cafe they were approaching and thought about his partner's feet, and how swollen they tended to become after she'd been on them all day. "Dinner, hotel, elevated feet, then music." He leaned close and whispered. "If you're really nice to me, you might even score a foot massage while they're elevated."

B/B/B/B

After Booth brought the last of their shopping bags and packages up to his apartment, he handed Brennan a bottle of cold water and joined her on the couch, pulling a slow drawl from his long neck Yuengling. They sat side by side, their feet propped up on the coffee table, each lost in their own thoughts as they looked at the pile of merchandise they'd purchased on their weekend away. Booth had been worried when Brennan kept picking up additional items at FAO, but she was having so much fun, he simply accepted her argument when she kept reminding that she'd cover the tab since he would be charged with building the furniture and assembling the toys. When Brennan leaned towards Booth, he instantly raised his arm, inviting her to rest against his shoulder. Kissing her hair, he thought about how lucky he was to have Brennan in his life, and he vowed to himself that he'd do everything possible to keep her just as happy with their relationship.

"Did you have fun this weekend, Bones?"

"I did," she chuckled and craned her neck so she could look up at him from her place against his chest. "I believe we were successful in selecting an excellent, wide array of amusing merchandise that will mentally stimulate our daughter as her cognitive and motor skills develop…"

Booth smirked. "You're happy with the toys we bought," he deadpanned. "You think our kid will like everything, huh?"

"Yes." Brennan's forehead creased, her familiar 'v' making an appearance. "That's what I said…"

Booth ignored the rhetorical statement. "Do you feel better about your potential to learn how to play?"

Brennan understood that Booth had planned this whole weekend with one goal in mind - to make her more comfortable with her own abilities to interact in playtime, and in doing so, he proved himself, once again, to be her perfect mate. His interest in her well-being was unprecedented in any of her previous encounters with men.

"I've always been comfortable playing with you," she said carefully. "But you've been the only one... You know, in the sense of the ways we joke and tease one another…" When he nodded, she continued slowly. "But now, after seeing all the options available, and procuring several of them, I am confident that we can find a successful, cohesive way to _blend_ your desire to teach our child about having fun with my desire to make that fun educational."

Booth's eyes narrowed. "That means you feel better?"

Smiling wide at his need for clarification, she nodded. "Yes, Booth. I feel much better." She stretched up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "And I have you to thank for that." When he smiled in response, she knew she said the right thing. "I now believe that I will be able to connect with our child." Admiring the handsome structure of his face, she took his hand and pressed it against her tummy, letting him feel the baby kick at that opportune moment. "In fact, I dare say there is a high probability that a few years in the future, I may even need to connect well with our _children_ , not just one child."

Booth's heart nearly exploded at her admission and he crushed her lips with his. To know that she was not only excited about their current pregnancy, but that she was making plans for their future was an amazing feeling. "If you ever need to go back to the toy store, you know, for inspiration, just let me know… I'm happy to go back." He rubbed his nose against hers and grew animated. "And just think! If we go back in a couple years, our little Baby Bones will be old enough to try some of those toys that we saw other toddlers playing with today!"

Rolling her eyes, Brennan immediately questioned her judgement in mentioning her inner monologue, but she had to be honest with herself, and she never wanted to feel like she couldn't say something to Booth for fear of sounding unreasonable or, in the vernacular, _silly_. Pulling her feet from the coffee table, she pushed up from the seat. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Booth… The baby isn't even born yet, I don't want to think about her being a toddler already."

Booth followed her down the hallway, his eyes bright as he turned off the lights. "Oh, I can't wait, Bones. Just think about it a sec, huh? We can take Baby Bones to the Build-a-bear department and let her pick out a little empty carcass and then watch it get stuffed…"

Ignoring his ramblings as he spelled out an entire scenario of building a colorful facsimile of a vicious animal, Brennan decided she'd battle the Create-a-Ursus Minor when the time came. More important than that was her partner's nickname for their unborn infant.

"Booth," she arched an eyebrow as she unfastened her wraparound blouse to get changed for bed. "You're _not_ going to call our daughter _Baby Bones_."

Taking off his own shirt, he let his eyes skip across her body with masculine appreciation before he got back to the topic at hand. "She'll wanna be just like you, y'know… I think _Baby Bones_ is perfect."

Huffing an exhausted laugh, Brennan decided to also put this battle off for another day in favor of sleeping. She pulled the covers back from her pillow and eyed her impish partner. "We'll see…"

"Yeah," he said with a grin as he sat down to remove his shoes. "You'll see that I'm right… It'll be a miniature you, Bones… And we'll call her Baby Bones… at least, until she's not a _baby_ anymore." He walked into the bathroom, his back to his partner stopping him from seeing the mocking expression she was throwing his way. "We'll start calling her Little Bones, or maybe Tiny Bones…"

His voice faded as he started his evening routine, but his ramblings served to cause Brennan to chuckle in adoration. Sitting on the edge of the bed, before taking her turn in the bathroom, Brennan smiled softly, imagining their future together while enjoying Booth's silly ramblings about their daughter's would-be nickname and future toy store excursions. Temperance Brennan had a lot of regrets in her life, some things out of her control while others were her own doing, but one thing she knew she would never regret, was making a life with Booth, because through thick and thin, she knew that she would always be able to depend on him, and he would be an amazing father to any child she bore him, because he was, very simply, an extraordinary man.

 **A/N Postscript**

 **I hope you all enjoyed my story, and especially FaithInBones, I hope you liked it.**

 **For those who might not know, FAO Schwarz was a really famous store in New York. It closed permanently in 2015, but there have been rumors of it reopening again. When they were open, it was more than just a toy store, it was a tourist attraction. There truly were toy soldiers to welcome people to the store and a whole opening ceremony in the mornings.**

 **Thanks for reading. Please take a moment to leave your thoughts.**

 **I hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful Valentine's Day. Thanks for continuing to read, it really means a lot.**

 **peace and love, my friends**

 **~jazzy**


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